The vocalist and activist passionately encouraged the Colombian government to prioritize education funding, while witnessing the commencement of construction on new schools being constructed through her foundation.
When Shakira returned to Colombia to participate in the opening of two new schools, she had a strong message to deliver to the government.
The vocalist and advocate emphasized the importance of boosting funding for education in order to achieve long-term peace. “The opening of a school can truly change the world,” she noted.
“When children are not provided with equal opportunities for education due to their living conditions, a country cannot truly be considered peaceful or equal. Education is the great equalizer that brings us all on the same level playing field.”
Shakira, a dedicated advocate for global education, visited Colombia to wrap up her international tour. During her visit, the 41-year-old witnessed the ceremonial groundbreaking of two new schools that will be constructed by her foundation Pies Descalzos. One school will be located in Cartagena while the other will be built in her hometown of Barranquilla, where she made her mark by leaving her footprint in the cement foundation of each school.
Shakira established her foundation in 1997 when she was only 18 years old. The organization now operates four schools in Cartagena, Barranquilla, Quibdo, and Soacha.
Pies Descalzos, which translates to Barefoot, has committed a total of $8.9 million to improve the education facilities in Cartagena’s Villa de Aranjuez neighborhood and Barranquilla’s Nuevo Bosque, in addition to contributions from some generous private donors. These projects aim to alleviate the overcrowding issues in existing schools in the areas. Expressing her concern, Shakira took to Twitter saying: “There are 15,000 children in the El Bosque neighborhood of Barranquilla, but only two schools available. We need to do more. Countless children in Colombia are still deprived of quality education.”
